The Beach Belongs to Everyone
In 2014, the Legislature and Governor gave the California Coastal Commission the authority to fine property owners who intentionally block public access to the coast. Previously, the CCC’s only leverage against homeowners blocking beach access was litigation, which wealthy beach house owners and coastal homeowner associations could drag out for years in court.
Last Call for Larsen B
Located on the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, the Larsen B remnant is about 1,600 square kilometers (625 square miles) in area and as much as 500 meters (1,640 feet) thick. This last remaining section of Larsen B Ice Shelf, which partially collapsed in 2002, is weakening and is likely to disintegrate completely before the end of the decade.
Request by Exxon to Haul Oil After Pipeline Break Denied
Officials denied a request Tuesday by Exxon Mobil to temporarily use tanker trucks to transport crude oil from offshore wells through Santa Barbara County after a recent pipeline break that has become the state’s largest coastal oil spill in 25 years.
Five Centuries of Flooding Events in the SW Netherlands; 1500–2000
A new study shows that, from 1500 until 2000, about a third of floods in southwestern Netherlands were deliberately caused by humans during wartimes. Some of these inundations resulted in significant changes to the landscape, being as damaging as floods caused by heavy rainfall or storm surges.
Oil Drilling in Arctic Ocean: A Push into Uncharted Waters
As the U.S. and Russia take the first halting steps to drill for oil and gas in the Arctic Ocean, experts say the harsh climate, icy seas, and lack of any infrastructure means a sizeable oil spill would be very difficult to clean up and could cause extensive environmental damage.
Louisiana Environmental Group Warns Santa Barbara Oil Spill Cleanup Workers to Protect Their Health
An open letter from the Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN) and the Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper raised concerns towards those affected by the Santa Barbara Plains All American Pipeline spill who participated in the clean-up effort.
Offshore Drilling and the NC Coast: Special Reports
This is the first of more than 40 stories that will be published over the next two months on offshore drilling and its potential effects on the N.C. coast.
End America’s Addiction to Fossil Fuels!
The recent oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara is a powerful reminder of the devastating costs of America’s addiction to oil on our communities, beaches and wildlife. It’s time to invest in a clean energy future.
Pipeline Firm Told California Oil Spill ‘Extremely Unlikely’
Federal inspectors said the area near the break had earlier been repaired because of corrosion. At the break point, over 80 percent of the wall thickness of the pipeline had been eaten away. The pipeline, completed in 1990, is part of a network of lines that move crude oil to inland refineries. A handful of prior spills have taken place on the line, the largest about 1,200 gallons…